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Many of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' songs are about Jade Castrinos, front man Alex Ebert's long time partner and co-band member. The band played a show last week without her, and the explanations came quickly and bitterly from both sides.
Castrinos updated her Instagram bio to read: "For seven years i sang and wrote music with edward sharpe. they voted me off of tour a week before they left, via email. lol." She has since changed it to, "don't let the bastards get you down..."
The band then released a statement on Facebook (which was promptly taken down) criticizing Jade's comment, saying that the decision was a long and drawn out one. Here's the since-deleted note:
Anyone on here who thinks the story could be as terribly and flatly painted as Jade conveniently did has no idea what this band has always been about. It's a shame to think anyone would comment anything other than a hope that it heals. If you think we came to this decision suddenly or as some form of punishment you have no idea who we are. If you think that email to jade was not sent 30 seconds after a meeting WITH jade and the band but out of the blue- you have no idea who we are. If you don't think we spent years trying to heal this very issue as a group, together - years trying to help correct this, love this until it was right, sometimes flailing and other times sailing, but always - you have no idea who we are.
Yet if you do not know that sometimes people must be unwilling to allow a continuation of old patterns to make a change for the better - you simply have not yet lived long enough.I hope you all do not continue to speculate ignorantly.
It is beneath you and it is grotesquely damaging.
Castrinos and Ebert started dating around seven years ago, according to an article from the band's home base, New Orleans.
Watch the two perform their most famous duet on the next page.
The couple started the band together and spent "five years on mushrooms" as Jade once said in describing their song duet song "home." The two broke up some time after the band started.
Ebert has a young daughter "Eartha" with his now-girlfriend.
Shorty after the band post, Ebert also posted on his own public page: "Only we must now explain that simply and sadly, we did not feel right doing this tour with Jade. That fact breaks my heart in ways I don't want to describe." That has also been deleted.
There is no further information as to why Jade was fired from the band, but fans have expressed plenty of concern about the change in the live performance without Jade on stage.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will play in Telluride on June 12 and 13 without their front woman.
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